Blythe has been acquitted by a court in the Czech Republic in the death of a 19-year-old fan. The singer was accused of pushing Daniel Nosek from the stage during a concert by his band in Prague on March 24, 2010. Nosek fell and hit his head on the concrete floor and later died of the injuries.

“I have been found not guilty & acquitted of all charges against me. I am a free man.” Blythe posted Tuesday on Instagram. He also asked fans to pray for Nosek’s family: “I only wish for them peace. Thank you for your support.”

The prosecutor immediately appealed the decision.

Blythe was arrested at the Prague airport last summer (he was unaware of a warrant out for his arrest) and indicted on manslaughter charges in December. He spent five weeks in custody before being released on bail in August. The singer faced five to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Before the verdict was reached, Blythe issued a statement regarding his decision to return to the Czech Republic to fight the charges in person.

"It would be absolutely intolerable for me to hide from this situation," he said. "I am an innocent man, but a family suffers the loss of a son, a fan of my band. That is what this whole thing is truly about, not prison, not money, not politics, not ME -- it is about a young man who lost his life at just 19 years of age. He will never come back, & it breaks my heart."

He continued, "I would not be able to sleep at night knowing that I did not behave honorably & try to give his family some answers. That would be disgraceful, and I do not wish to dishonor myself or my family by acting in such a cowardly manner. I was raised to face my problems head on."